


HeadSpin 5: Boys of Summer

by dramady, jeck



Series: HeadSpin [5]
Category: Apolo Ohno - Fandom, Olympics RPF, Sports RPF
Genre: M/M, Speed Skating, short track
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-29
Updated: 2010-03-29
Packaged: 2017-10-08 09:58:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/75502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dramady/pseuds/dramady, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeck/pseuds/jeck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>A/N:</b> Since this is future-set, we take liberties with what Apolo and JR may or may not be doing IRL.<br/><b>SUMMARY:</b> All good things must come to an end...<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	HeadSpin 5: Boys of Summer

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** This is a non-profit, non-commercial work of fiction using the names and likenesses of real individuals. This fictional story is not intended to imply that the events herein actually occurred, or that the attitudes or behaviors described are engaged in or condoned by the real persons whose names are used without permission.

  
JR's flight was scheduled for the next day at 10:30 AM. Apolo had already committed to a meeting at 9 that he couldn't get out of, so they reserved a place on the Super Shuttle to get JR to the airport in time and had gone out to get bags and bags of food for their last night.

Their last night.

It had been a _month_, and it had gone by quickly and and definitely been memorable. But it was almost as if they were going back to real life after a month of something else.

They'd gone running, then stopped at about five different places for food on their way back. It was three PM already. Apolo set the food that he was carrying down on the table and started for the kitchen. "Juice? or soda? Water? What sounds good?"

"Iced tea," JR grinned over at Apolo, taking the food out of the bags only to have something for his hands to do. He was leaving tomorrow for Seattle, first, and then Berkeley after that. He was both looking forward to going home and school but at the same time he wasn't too thrilled about leaving.

"Iced tea, he says," Apolo acknowledged and poured a glass of that for JR and for himself, a bottle of mineral water. He brought both back and set them down before helping to unload the bags; Thai, Sushi, onion rings, cake and ice cream, and some curry to top it all off. "Man, we're going to be eating _good_."

This was probably one of the things that JR would mostly miss about Apolo. His love of food was almost legendary and JR couldn't help smiling back at him. "It smells good in here." And it did that his stomach grumbled quietly. There were more things he'd miss, he knew, but JR tried to push that far, far away to the back of his mind. There was no use thinking about all that right now. "What do you want first?" Too much food; where to start?

"Sit! This is a job that requires sitting." There were movies in a bag somewhere too, rentals for them to watch later, but he went to the kitchen for plates, then just began scooping things on (except for the cake and ice cream of course), until his plate was nearly heaping. He picked up an onion ring before crunching into it. "Mmm."

JR sat down next to Apolo, watching as he piled his plate before he started to fill his own. It was too late for lunch, too early for dinner, but it seemed that, with the DVD's and even more than enough food, Apolo had packed the rest of their time with things to do that by the time this was over, they'd probably just crash to bed.

Even if it wasn't exactly how he'd prefer they spend the remainder of their time, it was still time spent with Apolo. JR thought that maybe it should be enough.

"Eat already. Before it gets cold and soggy." JR got a poke in the side before Apolo went back to eating in earnest, alternating bites of Thai shrimp with the chicken curry and sashimi, making happy eating noises as we went (something JR had gotten used to by now). "I love food."

Hearing Apolo's voice again seemed to shake him out of his thoughts. JR smiled and dug his fork in, curry first and then making noises of his own. "They really have good food here in LA. So many places to go. I hope Berkeley has the same." Yeah. Berkeley. Where he'd be spending all his time now studying, maybe a little training thrown here and there and none of this -- hanging out with Apolo. JR hated that his thoughts seemed to be going that direction _all the time_. He couldn't stop it.

Berkeley. JR saw Apolo pause, his fork over his plate before he went back to eating some more. "Got your classes all set up?" He asked, watching his food. "College towns at least will have good bar food, right? Which isn't exactly healthy."

"I'm ready. Just need to move up there." He took a sip of his drink and JR kind of took that chance to look over at Apolo and just -- try to read him. The man was still confusing sometimes. "Not just bar food. I already looked up Filipino restaurants and they have more there than Seattle. Food'll be an adventure for sure." He smiled and his heart ached a little and he wanted to shake Apolo and ask him if he'd miss JR or something. He picked up a piece of sushi and popped that in his mouth instead.

"No kidding, huh? Huh." Apolo picked up a piece of sushi, too. "That's interesting. Gives me a place to eat if I come visit you, huh?" He smiled a little crookedly before he went back to eating. "Going to be a college student. With all the partying and girls, huh?"

"If you..?" JR stared at Apolo, unblinking but then slowly he couldn't help the smile. He really did just hear Apolo say that, right?

Upon realizing he was, indeed, staring, JR ducked his head and shoved his food around on his plate. "A visit would be nice ... if you're ever up in the Bay." See what he did there? No pressure. "Not so sure about partying, you know? It's school -- it's _Berkeley_. It's a once in a lifetime chance and I don't want to muck it up." JR looked up at Apolo then he shrugged a shoulder but JR's expression showed Apolo that this was just as important a dream for JR like being in the Olympics had been.

"Berkeley's a big deal, for sure. Bigger than University of Colorado," Apolo told him with a laugh. "You'll do great, probably study so hard you'll need stronger glasses." Saying that, he reached over and touched JR's ear. "No regrets, right?"

That was it right there ... right? No regrets. Apolo said it enough since JR had known him, more so when they were all training for Vancouver that he was sure it had rubbed off on him already. Slowly, leaning into the touch, JR nodded his head. "Yeah. None." Not even this, the month he'd spent with Apolo. No regrets. "Maybe I'll get contacts, huh?" JR's smile came slowly but easier this time.

"Could do that, sure. Then you wouldn't be hiding your eyes." Apolo ended up cupping JR's face for a moment before he gestured at the food. "Eat, huh? The ice cream is melting." But as he ate, he watched JR without speaking.

JR could feel the heat of Apolo's gaze. He wasn't sure what that meant, exactly and he didn't ask. They ate quietly, exchanged a few words here and there. JR pushed his plate away leaning back and running a hand over his belly. "That was good," he said, looking over at Apolo who seemed to have bore a hole in JR's skull the way he stared at him the rest of the meal. "Want me to get the ice cream?" His fingers itched to reach out and touch.

"Yeah. I'll get the cake." Apolo stood, then, taking JR's plate and his own to the kitchen, so he could come back with bowls, setting them down before reaching for the bakery box, opening it and pulling out the small white cake with chocolate frosting. "I still can't believe you prefer vanilla to chocolate. That says a lot about you, JR."

JR placed the ice cream tubs on the table, nudging Apolo with his shoulder once they both stood next to each other. "Everyone likes vanilla. It's just a flavor. How could an ice cream flavor say anything about me, huh?"

"It says," Apolo intoned, snorting out a laugh. "That you play it safe. That you go for the known over the unknown. That you're not wanting to take _risks_." Which was bullshit and his laugh showed that as he forked a huge piece of cake into JR's bowl. "Not everybody likes vanilla, you know. Some of us would live on chocolate given half the chance."

"You got all that from my favorite ice cream flavor?" JR looked incredulously at Apolo before laughing and shaking his head. "Me? Not take risks? Uh-huh. Sure." He was here with Apolo and coming here _was_ a huge risk. "...all that from ice cream?" After scooping ice cream over the cake, JR turned to Apolo, cocking his head. "What does your love of chocolate say about you though?"

"It says I like dark and mysterious and taking chances ... and ... " Apolo searched for more BS and came up blank, laughing again. "Hell if I know. Serve it up, son! I need my sweets!" His slice of cake was as large as JR's and he pushed it forward for some ice cream. "Ooh, I think I have hot fudge in the fridge. I'll look." And he was off to the kitchen again.

"That's a bunch of ..." JR didn't continue but he just looked over at Apolo and laughed while JR scooped more ice cream in Apolo's bowl (he knew to do that now because the man _did_ need his sweets). "You keep eating like this, you're going to get out of shape fast. I'm sure you know that." The tone was teasing and affectionate as JR called after Apolo, then he watched his every move as if he was drinking it all in, keeping it in his mind. Memories or something. At least he could bring those back to Berkeley.

"I know what I'm doing." And JR could hear the microwave door open and shut, then start up. "I'm older than you, remember." The _smart-ass_ clearly went unspoken. Then Apolo appeared at the doorway, leaning against the jamb, arms crossed over his chest. "You're the one who's going to need to worry with all the studying."

"Yeah. I know. Studying means I'm going to be snacking," which JR does a lot of anyway, "and I probably won't have any time to work out or anything." At least he hoped that wouldn't be the case. "I guess that's when being sponsored by a gym helps, huh?" Apolo looked good standing there. Another picture in JR's mind to file away.

"Right? Is there a 24 Hour Fitness there? You've checked, I'm sure." The microwave pings and Apolo disappeared to reappear with the bottle of hot fudge which he offered to JR before taking some for himself. "You'll do great anyway. You're born to succeed."

"I don't know about that..." JR scooped up some fudge over his dessert, watching the hot fudge melt the ice cream over his cake. Mmm. He handed the bottle to Apolo and licked the back of the spoon he used for the fudge, shrugging. "I mean, I want to succeed. I try to. But not sure one's born into that, you know?"

"Not true. We create ourselves daily," Apolo told him as he sat, the fudge bottle more than three-quarters empty. "If you see it, you can be it. Or something." As hokey as it sounded, what made it strange was that Apolo _believed_ that. "You know that, JR."

JR thought long and hard about that, still licking the spoon and then slipping it in then out of his mouth. "Hmm. Affirmation." He grinned, dimples deep. "You're right." How many times had he told himself, especially after his injury, that he could bounce back and recover and be ready for the Olympics. He was still nodding at Apolo. This memory was yet another thing to bring back to Berkeley with him.

"I'm going to miss you, you know?" It came out of nowhere but JR had been thinking about Apolo enough to say it out loud.

Again, Apolo's spoon hovered over his food and Apolo looked down at the table, then over at JR, those hazel eyes seeming very wide and dark. "... I'm going to miss you too," he said, cracking a small there-and-gone smile before turning back to his dessert.

Would he really? JR couldn't quite tell until he saw Apolo's eyes. He smiled and it was a little sad but then what JR did was nod his head once, before he scooped up a little of everything in his bowl and began to eat. Maybe Apolo missing him and saying he'd go and see JR up in the Bay was enough to sustain him once he was there.

"You want to watch a movie now?" JR asked, since, well, they were done with dinner already.

"Sure." Apolo got up slowly, taking dishes to the sink and putting the ice cream back in the freezer. And when he settled on the sofa, he pulled JR so that he was tucked under Apolo's arm as he hit 'play,' giving JR a kiss on the temple.

This was nice and warm and JR had gotten quite used to being tucked in this spot and it seemed they fit nicely. He was thinking, as he took another spoonful of dessert, about how he was going to get unused to this feeling. He bit back a sigh and shifted to get more comfortable. "What're we watching?"

"Avatar," Apolo told him. "I guess it's not going to be as good as on the big screen, but what can you do." Slouching lower, he palmed over JR's head. "'We're going to have fun, aren't we, Apolo?'" And he made JR's head nod, laughing. "'And then you're going to do despicably dirty things to me, aren't you, Apolo?'" And Apolo grinned. "Yep."

What else was JR to do but laugh? "You're crazy," he mumbled, mind still kind of caught in the 'despicable dirty things' comment Apolo made. "Good thing I love Avatar." JR said, nestling closer, looking at Apolo with a smile and he wanted so badly to ... JR leaned in and kissed him. It was mostly a chaste kiss, slow, sweet, and then he pulled back still smiling.

But the kisses later were far from chaste. Apolo had bitched for a good twenty minutes about how lame the story of the movie was, but soon enough, he had JR spread out on the bed, naked and was biting and kissing his way seemingly along every inch of it.

The laughter (mostly at Apolo bitching about the movie) had long died down and JR was reduced to a boneless heap on the bed, moaning softly. His body seemed to have a mind of its own, arching and bowing, hips rising and falling with his cock hard and leaking and needy. So _needy_.

"Mmmh ... Apolo ..." JR whimpered his name and then he reached for Apolo as much as his brain could manage to move his hands, caressing over warm skin and sinew of muscle, memorizing how Apolo felt with each touch.

One hand held each of JR's wrists and they are pressed to the bed as Apolo kept doing what he was doing, nipping a little harder at the inside of JR's thigh, the inside of his knee. He was avoiding JR's cock, watching it twitch and leak against his belly. Apolo smirked a little before he sucked on one of JR's fingers.

He had long since learned to not fight this, so JR lay there, panting, loving how he was pinned almost immobile and all he could do was _feel_. Apolo's body felt strong and firm over him and those lips that touched his body in worship made each emotion run deep, making JR gasp and moan and whimper. He craved more of Apolo's attention but JR knew he'd rather they take their time with this being their one last night together.

"Mmh ... f-feels ... good ..." JR murmured, looking at Apolo, a warmth in his gaze wrapped around all the lust darkening his eyes.

Smiling, Apolo looked up at him for a moment, then, holding his gaze, he slid up and nuzzled his chin against the underside of JR's cock, feeling it jerk. Then he flicked his tongue along the slit, tasting the precome before licking over it again.

JR twisted his wrists, turning his hand over to hold on to Apolo's, his grip tight and he held on just as his neck craned back and arched his lips parted on another moan. Apolo's mouth was warm and wet and what he did to JR made him writhe in pleasure. "God! Yes!" He fought his own instincts to close his eyes and JR looked down, met Apolo's gaze and watched as the man tried to make him fall completely apart.

Instead of holding his wrists, Apolo shifted his grip so that their fingers were laced together. Then he used one set of laced fingers to hold JR's cock up so that Apolo could suck on it more earnestly, grazing his teeth along the hard length for a long moment.

"Fuck!" JR trembled so hard, he swore the bed shook and his moans were getting louder. With a lot of effort, he pushed up on his arm, free hand propping himself up and then he watched with dark, hooded eyes each time Apolo's mouth moved over his dick. "Ahh! S-so good..." Their hands were still joined and JR wasn't planning on letting Apolo go; especially not now with this being their last night together.

Leaning up a few moments later, Apolo whispered over JR's mouth. "Tell me what you want. I'll give you whatever you want."

The way he moved was instinct, maybe even habit with how his arm wrapped around Apolo, a hand on his firm ass and pulling him down while JR's strong leg hooked around Apolo's muscled thigh while JR rocked his hips up. "Just ... I want ..." He wanted so many things. To stay. To say how he felt, to know how Apolo felt. JR wanted Apolo to fuck him until it he was all JR could feel, until he could no longer _think_. "... you ... okay? I want to ... feel you ..."

"Okay, okay." Apolo kissed him almost too hard, teeth biting into JR's lower lip. The he stretched over, getting the lube from the nightstand. JR held his weight as he slicked his fingers, then he was propping himself up with one elbow as his other hand reached between them and gave a cursory rub. Then Apolo was pushing one finger in as far as he could, wasting no time opening JR up.

It wasn't as if they've done this a lot but it was enough that JR knew, now, to pull his knees up and spread his thighs apart. His head sank down on the pillow, his breath rushing out of him before he held it, releasing slow in time to how Apolo's knowledgeable fingers moved in and out of JR. "Mmm ... yeah..." Apolo's movements were making JR loose and open and hot, with what may be the last time in a long time and the thought that flitted in JR's mind made him kiss Apolo back with a desperation, almost a longing that came with the sounds of his whimpers.

It didn't take long. When Apolo could move three fingers easily, he pulled them out and reached for a condom instead. Ripping it open, he rolled it on and drizzled lube over, stroking himself a few times before he started to push in. When he looked up at JR, Apolo's face was flushed, eyes dark.

JR cupped Apolo's face, let his thumbs rub against his cheeks, eyes moving between Apolo's and staring for a few beats before JR pulled him down and kissed him. JR took in Apolo's breath, keeping them lip-locked until Apolo was deep inside him and as much as he'd miss this, too, he'd miss the kissing most of all. JR craned his neck and chased after Apolo's lips to kiss him again while his hips began to rock, to _move_.

"God," Apolo whispered, hips flexing as he started to move. Both hands were over JR's head and Apolo was rocking deep. "Fuck, you're tight," he added. "You feel _good_."

Leaving his leg hooked over Apolo's hip, JR then slid his hands down to his lover's ass, pushing him down, urging him deeper. Pre-come drips over his belly, wet, warm, making him arch closer to Apolo, needy for friction, for touch. He wants to keep his eyes closed, to fall into the moment and let nothing but the sensations move him. But JR wanted to stare at Apolo, to see his face, his _eyes_ and drown in them, to _remember_ the look he saw there.

Apolo to the end, he didn't give JR any friction just yet. He rocked forward, rolling JR up, pushing his knees to his chest, deepening the angle until he was nearly on top of JR, and he _pushed_ down, making sure JR could feel every inch.

JR gasped, air filling his lungs as if it was the most precious thing in this world. Only it wasn't. At least not at this moment because Apolo - and what he was doing to him - how he was making JR _feel_ was so intense that it was the one thing he focused on. His head fell back, neck arched and a low, rumbled growl crawled out of his throat. "Jesus..!" Apolo's cock surged past his prostate, making him writhe beneath him, strong thighs clenching Apolo's hips as JR started to rock up. "So ... good...!" JR breathed out, sweat beading along his hairline, moaning as the heat escalated between them.

Goaded on by the feel and the sound, Apolo _fucked_ into JR's body, feeling the tightness and the heat, the taste of JR's skin on his tongue and the pleasure of it all; he groaned, right in JR's ear.

The groan to JR's ear and the sound of Apolo's stilted breath made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. The way Apolo thrust made JR drop his hands on the sheets, grabbing and pulling it until his fingers were white-knuckled and numb. Besides their heavy breathing the only sound in the quiet room was the way Apolo pushed into him, wet and slick, skin slapping on skin and it felt so good. So _good_ that JR moaned and whimpered, closing his eyes and losing himself in the feel of Apolo over him, moving in him.

Finally wrapping a hand around JR's cock, Apolo sank his teeth into his ear. "Come on," he urged in a rumble. "Wanna feel you come." And with that, he pushed in even _deeper_, harder and faster, too, his hair in JR's face as they moved.

It didn't take a lot. A few strokes, several deep thrusts and Apolo's words, his voice, the way he bit JR - all those sensations intertwined and it pushed JR over the edge. He looked at Apolo, breathing out, "Oh, fuck, yes," and then his body was pulled taut, tension building until he comes spilling between them, clenching Apolo deep as his cock pulsed in Apolo's hand. His orgasm seemed to go on and on until the tightness of his body gave way to bonelessness and utter bliss. "Ohh...."

When Apolo felt the clench, he gritted his teeth and pushed through it until he was coming too, his head back, sweat beading at his hairline, mouth open in a silent gasp, hips still moving, almost in slow-motion as he slowed.

Finally stilling, he pulled free and collapsed on his side, half over JR, face in his neck. "Fuck."

JR finally let go of the sheets, his fingers stiff from fisting them too hard but gentle as soon as he slid them down Apolo's back. He shifted closer but with a soft groan, nuzzling the side of Apolo's face and smiling as his lips found his chin and the scratchy soul patch there. This? All this? It was something he'd carry with him always, JR knew. Always.

He got a kiss, a soft one, even, before Apolo rolled to his back, a hand on his chest, eyes closed. "Damn." A breath and then he grinned, looking like a content cat. "Now I'm hungry again."

That made JR laugh and it was rumbled and gruff and tired. "Me too." Which only made him laugh harder, rolling to his side and reaching out placing his hand over Apolo's chest, tracing along the ridges of his abs. "I don't think I can get up though." Which was funny, too.

"Wuss," Apolo teased, though he wasn't moving either. "We'll get up in a minute." Or maybe not. Maybe they'd just _sleep_. If JR would quit laughing, that was! Apolo grinned, squeezing JR's cheeks, clearly teasing, eyes warm. "Dork."

Apolo squishing his face did not stop JR from laughing. "I'm not the dork," he said, mumbled, "you're the one tweeting about food and go go gadget." More laughter and then JR caught the look the Apolo gave him and it died down enough for him to lean in and touch their lips together. "... I am going to miss you, you know..?" This month with Apolo had been amazing even if something tightened in his chest again at the thought of leaving.

"Gonna miss you too, kid." Apolo pressed his smile to JR's mouth and kissed him back. Finally then, he got out of bed and tugged JR to follow. Food was waiting! Go-go-Gadget microwave!

~~

The next morning, Apolo's alarm went off at 6:30 and he snuffled out a sound into JR's neck where Apolo had slept, the sound something like "mrrfle." Then Apolo rolled to sit, stretching his arms over his head before touching JR's face. "Up and at 'em."

JR knew what today was and he didn't want to wake up, didn't want to open his eyes. The touch to his cheek was gentle enough, though, that he blinked slowly, Apolo's eyes, his face the first thing he saw. It had been this way all month and JR thought that it would be even harder to wake up without those eyes looking back at him to greet him in the mornings. "Hey." JR only rolled to face Apolo, not getting up, still staring at Apolo's face.

"Hey. Your shuttle will be here at 7:45. Better get going, huh?" Apolo's hair was in his face, the lines around his eyes softer in just waking up. With another crooked grin, he touched JR's face again and stood, naked, stretching as tall as he could.

JR closed his eyes again because it hurt to look at Apolo like that so instead he rolled and pushed himself to sit, legs hanging off the side of the bed. Suddenly he felt awkward, unsure, standing and JR felt like he was a little lost. "Uhm. First dibs on the shower?" He looked over his shoulder, one side of his mouth lifting in a small smile before it disappeared from his face.

"Go for it." Apolo smacked at JR's ass, not hard enough to sting. "I'll make fruit smoothies and bring them in." He took a few steps toward the kitchen, before he looked over his shoulder. "You okay?"

"Uh..." JR looked at Apolo intently, then slowly he shook his head. He tried to smile. He did. But the attempt only made his expression somber and JR knew it. He ducked his head and turned away. Apolo shouldn't see him like this.

"Hey." Apolo's hand landed on JR's shoulder. "Don't lie to me. Talk to me."

"I know I have to - and I will," JR looked up, his arms wrapping around Apolo and he stepped closer. "...but I don't want to go."

Cupping JR's cheek, Apolo shrugged a little bit. "Berkeley's waiting for you. You're going to be a smartypants." He taps his fingertip against JR's temple. "Not like you're never going to see me again, you know? I'm like a fungus. I keep growing." And with a laugh, he headed for the kitchen to make smoothies.

"I know," JR whispered. He was quite surprised at his own reaction to leaving. He was so used to this, having left home at fourteen to train and only coming back a few months out of the year, leaving his family and friends behind. Why was it so hard to leave Apolo?

It was something he tried to shake off the whole time he was in the shower, the water raining down on him with JR wanting this ominous feeling to wash away with it. Done and dry and dressed, he went out in search of Apolo, finding him in the kitchen (where else?) and this time, JR's smile was easy and sincere. Showers, apparently, did wonders for the mind as well.

"I was going to bring these in, but ... " Apolo handed JR a cup and gave him a kiss on the cheek and he pointed to the bathroom. "My turn to shower. Back in a flash."

JR leaned against the counter and followed Apolo with his gaze as he left the kitchen. He shook his head because no matter what had gone on between them this past month, he still will never completely get the man though he'd like to think that he understood a lot better now than when he first arrived here. He pondered the past month all the while sipping the smoothie - which happened to be really good - and JR realized suddenly that he'd miss this, too, simple a thing as it was.

Coming back not ten minutes later in an unbuttoned dress shirt and slacks, hair hanging in wet tendrils back from his newly-shaven face, Apolo gave JR another smile before taking a long drink of his smoothie. "You want eggs or something before you go? We gotta make sure you don't go to Berkeley hungry for anything but knowledge."

He snorted a laugh. "You're such a dork." Which, JR realized considerably lightened the air around him. "I'm good." He shook his head and just looked at Apolo, at the way his clothes hugged him, the way his damp hair looked brushed back from his clean-shaven face. Again, trying to commit it all to memory.

"Just as long as you don't get the airport and go right to the Cinnabon counter. I know you, Celski. I know your sweet tooth." And okay, Apolo might have been projecting a little bit there and it showed in his grin. "You all packed and ready to go?"

"Wonder where I got that from?" He smiled at Apolo then JR nodded his head. "I'm ready, yeah." In more ways than just going to Berkeley. "I guess ... I'll ... see you?"

"Yeah, I mean sure," Apolo scoffed, running a hand through his hair. "Not like I'm going to disappear off the face of the _planet_ or anything, you know?" His grin turned cocked-eyed and a little sly. "Why do you ask, huh?"

JR shrugged a shoulder slowly and then he stepped closer to Apolo, his gaze intent on his face. He thought he got it - how Apolo was - and now and he took the risk. "I shouldn't have asked," he said, smiling slightly. "I am going to see you and you are going to come see me up in the bay. Maybe even a competition." The smile he had radiated, those tell-tale dimples deep lines on his cheeks.

"Oh, yeah? You seem pretty sure of that, Celski." But Apolo didn't disagree. In fact, he reached up to touch one of those dimples. "And you'll take me out for Filipino food?"

Yes, he was sure. "Of course I will. It still won't be as good as my mom's but..." The clock was ticking and it seemed to be moving double-time that it was getting closer and closer for JR to leave. The touch and the look in Apolo's eyes warmed him and then JR took that last step to close the short separation between them, sighing softly as soon as their bodies pressed together. "Thanks, you know, for ..." _everything_, but the word got stuck in JR's constricted chest.

Arm coming around JR's waist, Apolo leaned in, closing the rest of the distance and kissing him, slow, deep, exploring JR's mouth with his tongue, getting a full taste, teeth scraping over his lower lip before he stepped back. Licking the taste from his own mouth, Apolo smiled. "You're welcome."

JR sighed into the kiss, opening up, kissing back with equal emotion. He smiled, too, when they parted, knowing, now, to push the uncertainty away. This shouldn't really be anything new, leaving those he loved ...

Yeah ... _loved_.

He pulled in a breath, keeping close to Apolo and smiling back, because things were going to be okay.

"You better go brush your teeth. Shuttle will be here, soon." Another kiss to JR's forehead and Apolo was stepping back. He needed to get ready for his meeting, too, following JR into the bedroom and the bathroom, where he snagged his tie from a hanger on the back of the door and started to tie it. "Text me when you get to San Fran, okay?"

As JR brushed his teeth, he kept flicking his gaze toward Apolo's reflection in the mirror. If anything it was only to take in everything he could these last few minutes they had together. He wanted to remember _everything_.

"I'll text you," he said, putting his toothbrush back in the cup beside the sink, borne now of habit and too used to having done so for a month. "Promise." Another smile as he watched Apolo fix his tie, JR wrinkling his nose because he still didn't like dressing up. "Text me if you're up there, too, so I can give you a tour." The words held a lot of promise. A lot.

"Will do. And if I get that talk show, I'll have you on as a guest." With that, JR got a big wink and Apolo laughed as he reached for his toothbrush, careful to toss his tie over his shoulder as he brushed his teeth, then he bared his teeth at himself in the mirror. "I gotta go, okay?" He hooked a hand around the back of JR's neck. "I'll talk to you soon."

Just like that, with a stop in the bedroom to put on shoes and socks, Apolo was out the door. JR could hear it click shut behind him.

After the way he'd pondered about _them_ all morning, JR wasn't surprised anymore, as he heard the door shut behind Apolo. He shook his head, sighing, murmuring, "I'll miss you. See you soon..."

There was only silence in the empty room.

~~

JR stood there in front of Berkeley, flanked by his parents on either side of him, his face bright with a dimpled smile. He looked out across the campus and was reminded with what Apolo always said -- this was the next chapter of his journey and the future was vast and all his for the taking.

He thought back at how he'd spent his summer with Apolo and it really was the most memorable one in his life; one that he would never, ever forget.

And JR? He definitely, _definitely_ had no regrets.  



End file.
